The present invention refers to a device for indicating the formation of ice on the evaporator of refrigeration appliances, such as the refrigerators of domestic use, in order to give a visual indication to the user about the occurrence of a limit condition of ice accumulation, from which the performance of the refrigeration appliance is impaired.
There are well known in the art the refrigerators in which the defrost operation is carried out either manually or semi-automatically, requiring the intervention of the user only to start the defrost procedure, since the end thereof is automatically achieved.
These refrigeration appliances may have problems in their performance in case the defrost is not effected periodically, in order to avoid that the progressive ice accumulation on the evaporator (which is usually of the plate type with a xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d shaped lateral profile and positioned in the inner upper portion of the cabinet) reaches such a level that the ice begins to act as an insulating element, impairing the heat exchange between the evaporator and the surrounding air, or as a blocking means against the circulation of air around the evaporator.
In these known refrigeration appliances, the necessary defrost operations are decided, either by the user himself, based on his observation of the level of ice accumulation, or by a periodic defrost program. Since the user does not receive any direct and clear visual indication about the existence of an anomalous and operatively unacceptable situation of ice accumulation, it is very common for these appliances of domestic use to work with efficiency loss. Disclosure
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for indicating the formation of ice in refrigeration appliances, which may be easily installed in a visible place inside the refrigeration cabinet, in order to give the user a visual indication about the need for a defrost operation, due to the occurrence of a certain level of ice accumulation on the evaporator.
The present indicating device is applied into refrigeration appliances of the type comprising a refrigeration cabinet provided with a front door and lodging an evaporator.
According to the invention, the indicating device comprises a display, which is mounted inside the refrigeration cabinet, at a distance from the evaporator equivalent to a predetermined limit thickness of ice accumulation on said evaporator, and which is formed by a demarcated region, defined by a heat sensitive element of the Master, liquid crystal, paint, or similar types, whose color is enhanced and distinguished When submitted to a determined temperature condition that is reached whiten said region is contacted by the ice accumulated on the evaporator. With the constructive solution mentioned above, the formation of ice itself, which automatically thermically activates said heat sensitive region of the indicating device, gives the user a visual indication or alarm about the need for promoting the defrost of the refrigeration appliance.